ANIMA D2.5 - Critical review of Balanced Approach Implementation across EU Member States

This report presents an assessment of Balanced-Approach implementation by airports across European Member States. The main aim is to identify the range of operational improvements, land-use planning interventions and operational restrictions introduced by airports to address specific noise management challenges. 

The research was conducted via in-depth case studies across 12 airports and one community organisation, using publicly available documentation and stakeholder interviews at each organisation. The result is 13 thorough case studies on the adoption of Balanced Approach at each airport, and specifically the implementation of a noise abatement intervention relating to the three Balanced Approach pillars of Land-Use Planning, Operational Procedures, and Operating Restrictions.

The case studies address the processes through which interventions are implemented, namely:

• Identification of the need for change.
• Design of intervention options.
• Selection of implemented intervention.
• Implementation of the intervention.
• Post-Implementation Evaluation.

By focusing on these processes, it has be possible to identify Best Practice elements that lead to successful implementation of an intervention, which may be transposable to other airports, and thus inform on the Best Practice Portal being developed in ANIMA Task 5.5. Moreover, this approach allows for tools, metrics, monitoring and modelling, and communication strategies used in each case to be identified and to inform on ANIMA Sub-Tasks 2.3.2 and 2.3.3.

The work has found that communication and engagement play a large and significant role in the implementation of noise abatement interventions across different Balanced Approach interventions, and throughout the entire process of implementation. Communication and engagement should therefore be made a more integral component of the Balanced Approach.

Land-Use Planning was found to be of particular importance to rapidly growing airports, for which pro-active engagement in the Balanced Approach can lead to avoidance of operating restrictions as the airport grows. Integration of different Balanced Approach elements in the same instance was found to be lacking in the case studies – with interventions typically being implemented as one-off actions independent. Considering interdependencies was found to be relatively lacking in intervention – noise being the primary driver behind the majority of case studies. A range of modelling and monitoring protocols were identified, disseminated through a range of metrics.